The Africa and Asia Programmes have had a significant impact in their regions.

For example, in South East Asia, early clinical trials using artemisinin derivatives showed they were more effective than quinine in the treatment of severe malaria. This led to a global policy recommendation by the World Health Organization to use artemisinin-based combination therapies as the first line treatment for all forms of malaria.

Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa

It was set up in 2015 by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Agency (NEPAD) with support from Wellcome, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

AESA aims to:

support African-led initiatives in key areas of science, particularly health research relevant to Africa

foster mentorship and collaborations in science, with policymakers and through public engagement.

DELTAS Africa is managed by AESA in partnership with the funders. AESA leads on decision making for African science, technology and innovation supported through the scheme.

The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance

The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance is a co-funded initiative between Wellcome and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The Alliance was launched in 2008 and supports future scientific leaders in India through fellowship awards.

Wellcome Trust Centres for Global Health Research

Our Wellcome Trust Centres for Global Health Research (WTCGHR) work in partnership with institutions in the UK and low- and middle-income countries. The Centres support career development for individual researchers and help institutions to develop their expertise in global health.

The Centre focuses on tuberculosis and respiratory disease, infection and immunity, mental and neurological disorders, and maternal and child health. It has partners in the UK, sub-Saharan Africa and India.

The Centre supports research in vaccines, clinical trials, infection and immunobiology, translational public health, and pharmacology. It has strong links with Malawi, as well as other research sites in low- and middle-income countries.

The Centre covers African population genetics, podoconiosis, tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance, mycetoma, and ethics in global health. It has partners in the UK, Sudan, Ethiopia and Cameroon.

Other funding

MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories

MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories, a partnership between Wellcome and Merck Sharp & Doeme Corp, is a not-for-profit vaccine research and development initiative based in India. Hilleman Laboratories complete research into affordable vaccines, to combat disease in low-income countries.

Human Heredity and Health in Africa initiative

The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative aims to improve the health of African populations through the study of the genomics of common diseases. The initiative is co-funded by Wellcome and the National Institutes of Health in the USA.

We have made a £9 million grant to AESA to run a second phase of the initiative. AESA will call for proposals for this funding in early 2017.

Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa)

Investment in science through our funding schemes

We also fund individuals and teams. For example, in Malawi, funded work has led to new ways of screening for TB in people who are HIV positive. This research led to World Health Organization recommendations for TB screening and has the potential to save half a million lives.

Investment in public engagement

Alongside investments in science, we support engagement with the public and policymakers to raise the profile of research and encourage discussion about its impact on society.

For example, we supported:

the Dharavi Biennale, a vibrant arts festival in Mumbai, which brought together local artists, researchers and the community to explore health challenges faced by residents of the biggest informal settlement in the city

Health in the Backyard, a community-led media project using digital storytelling methods to explore attitudes and perceptions of risk in communities involved in animal husbandry in rural Vietnam. This work helped these communities engage with Wellcome-funded research at the Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam.